Switch



5 Sheets-Sheet l M. H. RHODES SWITCH Filed Jan. 17, 1951 May 1, 1934'.

May 1, 1934.;

M. H. RHODES 1,956,998

SWITCH Filed Jan. 17, 1931 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 23mm I I y 1934- M. H. RHODES 1,956,998

SWITCH Filed Jan. 17, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 /2' /1;1 j.@. X g;- 7 J a 1 nemies May it l era I latest ATENT SWTCIH Application January 15?, ion. Serial No. 5,333

This invention relates to switches, and with regard to certain more specific features, to elec trical circuit making and breaking switches.

among the several objects of the invention may he noted the provision of an electrical switch of the class described which is quick and positive in its action, a switch in which the mran enient of parts is such that the assembly occupies a minimum of space, and which is accordingly adapted for multiple installations standard, single-switch type wall housings, and for installation in said single-switch housings in combination with one or more iplug-receivhig outlets and the like, a switch which contains a nher of movable parts, and a switch wherein manual movement of the switch handle occasions a multiplied force as applied to the con= tasting nieans, whereby contact is made and lorolzen with a snap action which reduces arciorroing tendencies. Qther objects will he in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the ele= rnents and combinations of elements, features of,

construction, and arrangements of parts which he exemplified in the structure hereinafter described, and the scope of the application oi he indicated in the following clams. h the accompanying m which are several of various possible enioodi= the invention, a r is a front elevation of a plate having mounted thereon; a side elevation of the plate and switch ill ra...d in 1;

-- 3 vertical cross-section taken on lune cross section talzen on line s an ideal section along lines and i; a fragmentary horizontal section taken of Figs. 3 l; l fragmentary hor zontal section taken .es 2 or 3 1-;

iragmentary vertical section taken oi l;

i) is a diagrammatic showing of the switch in closed=circuit position;

it is a diagrammatic showing similar to to showing the switch in open=circuit posh lion; i ll is a front elevation similar to Fig. 1

showing a modification of the invention; and, 55 i2 is a front elevation similar to Figs. 1

and ii showing a second modification of the invention.

Similar reference characters indicate correspondin parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 69

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, numeral 1 indicates a face plate of the type in general use for wall mounting of electrical switches. A central opening 3 permits the control handle 5 of a switch 7 to extend outwardly to an available manipulating position.. Screws 9 hold the face plate 1 to the switch 7.

From the exterior, the switch '7 will be seen to comprise a mounting plate 11 (with which the face plate screws 9 engage) and a switch housing 13 having exterior comiecting'terminals 15 and 17 mounted thereon. The housing 13 is preferahly formed of insulating material, such as balreliteia phenolic condensation product) or the like. Screws 19' (see Figs. 3 and 4) hold the housing 13 to the mounting plate ii.

The interior construction of theswitch 7 will be seen in Figs. 3, l, 5 and d. The mounting plate ll has extending at right angles therefrom a pair of sideward portions 21 and 23. A plate 25, which is shaped with substantially the same form as the housing 13. is attached to portion 21 toy means oi rivets or spot'welding or the like as indicated at numeral 27 (Fig. 3). Mounted at one side in the plate 25, and at the other side in the sideward portion 23, is a pin 29, upon which the control handle 5 is rotated.

The switch control handle 5 comprises a semicircular nortion 31 from which extends a torch 33 for manipulation purposes; The hacir, concealed n the assembled switch) portion of the switch a is reduced in thickness as at numeral 35 (Figs. 5 and it) m d has a contourincluding a projection 3'? having a nose 39 thereon, and a depression, or hollowed-out portion ll. The gin as upon which the handle 5 is rotated passes through the thin portion 35, in the region of the projection 37.

Mounted rigidly on the switch handle 5, cm-

-loracing the thin portion 35 thereof, and extending into the depression ll, is a saddle member is. This saddle t3 comprises a pair of legs 45, which :lit snugly against the sides of the handle 5, and a cross-piece 7 at right angles to the legs i5. The pin 29 passes through the legs 45. The crosspiece d7, engages the nose 39 of the projection 37 of the switch 5, whereby the saddle 4.3 is, relative to rotation on the pin 29, fixed to the handle 5. That is to say, the saddle i3 is mounted on the handle 5 in a fixed, non-rotatable manner.

ill-9 The cross-piece 47 is provided with a nose 49 which engages one end of a compression spring 51 to be described more in detail hereinafter.

Associated with the saddle 43 is a movement limiting means for the handle 5 (see Fig. 6). The movement limiting means per se comprises a flat h shaped piece 53, having parallel legs 55 and 57, and a single extending leg 59. The leg 55 passes loosely through a pair of holes 61 in the legs 45 of the saddle 43. The single extending leg 59 passes through a slot 63 having a predetermined length in the plate 25. Considering that the saddle 43 is fixed to the handle 5, and that the plate is relatively a part of the stationary ground wherein the handle 5 rotates, it will be seen that engagement of the single extending leg 59 with the ends of the slot 63 limits the rotation or movement of the handle '5. The nature of the movement limiting means from a functional standpoint will be apparent by reference to Figs. 9 and 10, which are diagrammatic showings of the switch handle 5 at its extreme positionings.

Also mounted on the pin 29, in this instance rotatably mounted, is a second saddle 65 embracing the saddle 43. The saddle 65, hereinafter termed the hammer saddle, comprises a pair of relatively long legs 67, through which the pin 29 passes (loosely enough to permit of ready rotation), and a hammer portion 69 at right angles thereto. The hammer portion 69 has a nose 71 thereon which engages the other end of the compression spring 51. Movement of the hammer saddle 65 is limited by a pair of ears 73 struck from the plate 25.

By reference to Figs. 9 and 10 it will be seen that the saddles 43 and 65 together with the compression spring 51 comprise an overcentering toggle, In Fig. 9, motion of the handle 5 in an upward direction, through the saddle 43, compresses the spring 51 against the saddle 65, which is immovable because of its engagement with the lower ear '73, until the saddles 43 and 65 pass the parallel position, at which time the compressed spring reacts to suddenly throw the hammer saddle 65 upwardly against the upper movement-limiting car 73. A similar reaction and overcentering action causes the hammer saddle The electrical connections in the switch will beseen particularly in Figs. 4, 5 and 8. The exterior terminals 15 and 17 comprise, respectively, metalhe strips '75 and 77 which are held to the housing 13 by means of screws, '79, and which receive in threaded engagement screws 81. 'By means of the screws 81, exterior connections to the switch are made. The metallic strip '75 extends into the housing 13, spaced from the side wall thereof, and is provided with a slanting knife-edge contacting portion 83. The knife-edge portion 83 faces, relatively, in a backward-upward direction. The metallic strip 7'? extends into the housing 13, also spaced from the side wall thereof, and is provided with a knife-edge contacting portion 85 similar to the contacting portion 81, but vertical and forwardly-facing in this instance.

Formed in interior of the back of the housing 13 is a protruding can 87. A pin or shaft 89 passes I through the side of the housing 13 and threadedly engages the ear 8'? (see Fig. 5). On the pin 89 is rotatably mounted a contactorbrlfar-anvil assembly 91. The parts of the assem y 91 are nonrotatable or otherwise movable relative'to each other, but the assembly as a whole rotates freely on the pin 89.

The assembly 91 comprises an anvil piece 93 and a contactor bar 95, together with suitable spacing washers, all mounted on a sleeve 97 through which passes the pin 89. The anvil piece 93, preferably formed of insulating. material, includes a notch 99 which engages the hammer portion 69 of the hammer saddle 65 (see Fig. 4). The contactor bar 95 comprises a pair of springmetal strips 101 shaped to engage and disengage, by rotation on the pin 89, the lmife-edge contacting strips 83 and 85. The relative shape of the bar 95 and the spacing of the contacting strips 83 and will be apparent from Fig. 4.

As the hammer saddle '65 snaps from one position to the other, as described hereinbefore, its engagement with the notch 99 in the anvil piece 93 causes the assembly 91 to rotate, as a whole, on the pin 89, and consequently causes the contactor bar to rotate into and out of contact with the pieces 83 and.85. Thus making and breaking of an electrical connection from terminal 15 to terminal 1'7 is effected in a sudden, snap-acting manner by simple movement of the switch control handle 5.

' It will be seen that substantially all of the moving parts of the switch described lie approximately in one plane. Further, because of the design of the various parts and the intensified snap action provided, it is not necessary that any of the parts be'very thick laterally. For these reasons, and others, the switch of the present invention can readily be built in a very narrow form. In the particular. embodiment described, the overall thickness of the switch need not greatly exceed three-quarters of an inch.

This novel thinness feature is an important advantage of the present invention. ,Because of such thinness, two or more switches may be mounted in a single existing switch box in a home, for example, upon alteration or redesign 12g of the house wiring. Fig. 11 illustrates the appearance of a face plate of standard one-switch size having mounted thereon two of the switches comprising the present invention. It is to be understood that more than two switches, with proper design, might similarly be mounted on a standard single switch size face plate.

The invention may also be used on a standard single switch size face plate in combination with a number of outlets 103, as illustrated in Fig. 133 12. Thus, where it is desired to add outlets to an existing electrical installation, by means of the present invention such an end may be secured without changing the existing switch housings or tearing out walls or the like.

In view of the above, it will be seen that th several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from 1 the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

A switch comprising a control handle rotating about a center, a saddle mounted on said handle and immovable relative thereto, a second, movable saddle rotating about said center, a com- 150 tween said terminals by means of said contactor bar, with a hammer blow, means transforming the rotary movement of said handle into linear movement, and means limiting the extent of said linear movement whereby to limit the movement of said handle.

MARCUS H. RHODES. 

